FACTS ABOUT LYME DISEASE

Lyme disease can affect the skin, and in some cases - with time, the nervous system, joints, heart. The bacteria which causes this illness is named Borrelia burgdorferi, and it is transmitted through bites from certain types of ticks, however not every infected person develops symptoms.

Lyme disease has been known in Europe under various names since the late 19th century. The Lyme name came from the town Lyme, Conneticut in USA. In this town some children developed arthritis, which was originally thought to be rheumatoid arthritis, but investigations showed that this illness was caused by an infection transmitted from ticks.

Risk factors to attract the disease include increased outdoor leisure activities in tick habitats. Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures, which you’ll find in grassy areas and in the forest. They usually feed on blood of mammals or birds. If a tick feed on an animal, which is infected with the Borrelia bacteria, they become infected and may pass on the infection to other animals (including humans).

Even if you get infected after a tick bite you don’t necessary develop symptoms. The most common sign of infection is a pale, pink or reddish rash, which spreads out from the site of the bite, usually within two weeks. Fever may also accompany the complaints, and some people experience enlargement of the lymph glands near the site of the rash. Tiredness and aching pains might follow the other symptoms.

In more serious conditions, some people may develop nervous system complications – with weakness and paralysis of muscles. Other neurological symptoms include: burning in the skin, numbness or shingles-like pain. The complications occur some weeks or months after the bite of an infected tick.

Lyme disease has been known to occasionally trigger arthritis, usually affecting the knee or other large joints. In most cases this settles down after antibiotic treatment. Lyme disease may also affect the heart, thereby causing an abnormality of heart-beat rhythm. This is although very uncommon, and will usually respond well to treatment.

Blood tests will be negative in the initial infection stage. It will, however, detect antibodies to the Borrelia bacteria within three to six weeks of being infected – if untreated. Usually a treatment with doxycycline or amoxicillin for 14 days is recommended and effective of shortening the duration of the rash. Homeopathy may prove effective as an extra aid in treating Lyme disease, as it strengthens the body’s own immune system. We also do recommend a preventive aid, by giving certain remedies at once someone has been had a tick bite, and follow it up for a duration of 2-3 weeks. (More information on this in the article: ‘Lyme Disease; Emerging from a Tick Bite.’

Remember to always consult with your Homeopath before taking any kind of homeopathic remedies.


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